St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-12
DAKOTA POSTOFPICES.
A Correction of Some Erroneous I'm
pressions Regarding the Department
of the Mails.
The Ridiculous Story Abroad That Da-
kota Pays $4,000 More Than
She Expends,
When the Truth Is She is in Arrears
Almost a Hundred Thousand
Annually.
Judge Clifford Carries His Bridge Bills
TO President Cleveland for His
Signature.
Special to the Globe.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE establish
ment of new offices in Dakota is problem
which is bothering the first assistant post
master general. Judge Clifford was found
at the Dakota desk looking over the three
hundred applications for new offices. and
making suggestions and recommendations.
1t was stated that the trouble was with the
second assistant postmaster general, be-
cause OF the limited appropriations, which
rendered the supply of star and rail service
greatly below the needs Of the new COM
munties. 1t was also alleged that this is
despite the fact that Dakota pays about
$50, 900 more than her expenses for postal
facilities. Your correspondent visited Col.
Sweeney, the veteran chief clerk to the
second assistant postmaster general, and
asked his views upon the matter He said:
81 cannot see how such assertions can be
made and believed. Here is the last report Of
the postmaster general. Here are the figures.
They are approximations. Dakota eXpeuds
sos, 900 in excess of her receipts for postal
facilities. She is in arrears. Moreover, there
is the great Northern Pacific railroad, passing
clear across the territory at an enormous an
nua expenditure for mail service. and that is
all charged to Minnesota. If it were charged
TO Dakota she could never raise the funds to
meet the expense. When any one tells you
what it costs for this service in any particu-
lar state, you can be sure that he is mis-
taken. The railroads are chargeeble not per
mile and per ounce OF matter. For con-
venience they are put down to any one of the
states through which they pass. For in
stance. Michigan only eXpends $4,000 above
her income. But, if we were to charge to her
all of the roads which traverse her prairies,
she could not pay for the service. 1t is prac-
tically impossible to make separate accounts
by border lines for these roads when they
enter state or territory. We charge them
to the state i'll which they originate. Thus,
while our aggregate OF expenditures is actu-
ally correct to penny, the state expenditures
are only Appropriated. That is the best we
can do.
How about the limited appropriations
making it impossible for you to supply the
new offices asked for in Dakota?
Il 60 not believe there is any foundation
for that statement. You would do well to see
the second assistant himself about that, if he
F can spare you the time"
Accordingly Hon. A. Leo Knott, second
assistant postmaster general, was ap-
preached. Being surrounded by several
officials who demanded his time and atten-
ton with their letters and various matters
of importance, it was necessary to patiently
await his pleasure. The case being finally
stated to him, he said:
''This Office has nothing to do with the es-
tabliShment of postoffices in Dakota or else
were. Our appropriations are not excessive
but we have enough. Let the first assistant
postmaster general establish all the new
offices that Dakota actually needs, and they
will be supplied with mail by this Office. 1t is
my business to see that the mails are carried
20 every postof1ice in the country, and this
business is carried on promptly. l have
never yet refused to furnish mail facilities
for Dakota offices nor to offices elsewhere.
Every new Office that has been established
since came into the department has been
Immediately taken care of. Whenever there
has been an urgency in the matter l have Or
dered bids for temporary lettings in order to
supply them at once, without waiting for the
end of the quarter, as is customary"
How many applications for service have
you On hand!''
None whatever, unless they have come in
to-day. They are handled as soon as they
come to us, end disposed of. There is no de-
lay in this office. If the offices are not estab-
lished. that is none of my affair. If they are
established they will be supplied
The first assistant says that his Office is
attending to these new cases as rapidly as
possible, and that in majority of cases
the fault lies with the people themselves. as
they do not give sufficient data for the
Office to act upon. The department is do
ing all that it can for Dakota.